To simply address the first question in your original post, send your application off to the visa centre in london via next day special delivery. Include prepaid next day special delivery. include the money for an urgent business visa application.

It's a friday. They'll receive it tomorrow if you send today before your post office closes. I doubt they'll process until Monday.

Then to answer your other question about multiple entry, I have no idea so check the website for requirements for multiple entry business visa (mine was multiple tourist).

Sorry I cannot be more help but your posts are written in a way that assumes people reading it know half your requirements/dates.

I did this last week. It took from Tuesday 9am until Friday 4pm to complete, and that was with me having all the information needed including 66 quid fee, invitation letters from China and flight confirmations etc. Also meant going to the visa centre in London and q-ing for 2 hours to submit the application. The application would only be accepted with a pre-booked appointment (done online) which allowed a 30 minute slot. even so they were badly over-running by 90 minutes.

SZ no longer offers visas at the border, and to confuse it even more, the visa rules are massively changing on July 1st, a complete overhaul.

You CAN get a same day visa in HK when you arrive, but you'll have to be there before 1pm. No documents needed.

If it's your first trip to China, you won't get a multi entry visa from the UK. You would only get a single entry, or possibly a double entry at most. Multi entry is for frequent visitors, and possibly not at all after July 1st.

You won't get a same day visa at the HK office. You can only get this at an agency (it's issued in SZ).

Your best bet is to do a super fast application in London and hope it comes back in time.

SZ no longer offers visas at the border, and to confuse it even more, the visa rules are massively changing on July 1st, a complete overhaul.

You CAN get a same day visa in HK when you arrive, but you'll have to be there before 1pm. No documents needed.

If it's your first trip to China, you won't get a multi entry visa from the UK. You would only get a single entry, or possibly a double entry at most. Multi entry is for frequent visitors, and possibly not at all after July 1st.

You won't get a same day visa at the HK office. You can only get this at an agency (it's issued in SZ).

Your best bet is to do a super fast application in London and hope it comes back in time.

I arrived in Shenzhen Shekou on the ferry from HK International Airport last Saturday and there was a Visa Desk immediately inside the port building.

But.... The OP said he was travelling next week, which is after the huge visa changes that come in to place on the 1st. It's unlikely, or at least very un-recommended to chance it after this big change.

Best to get a visa now, before the changes and inevitable ensuing chaos next week.

But.... The OP said he was travelling next week, which is after the huge visa changes that come in to place on the 1st. It's unlikely, or at least very un-recommended to chance it after this big change.

Best to get a visa now, before the changes and inevitable ensuing chaos next week.

Do you know what sort of visa changes are happening? - Currently planning a trip back in October...

But.... The OP said he was travelling next week, which is after the huge visa changes that come in to place on the 1st. It's unlikely, or at least very un-recommended to chance it after this big change.

Best to get a visa now, before the changes and inevitable ensuing chaos next week.

Do you know what sort of visa changes are happening? - Currently planning a trip back in October...

Nobody knows in China until it happens!

A normal, standard tourist visa isn't changing much. Business visas are changing a little, but if it's a 'trip' you should be OK with similar docs to before.

The big changes are on business / work visas. Loads of people were technically 'working' in China but with a business visa (which is much easier to get), so they're relaxing the rules a little in one direction and moving things around.

There's a few down-sides, apparently multi-entry visas are going to be near impossible to get, or just aren't going to exist at all unless it's a work visa.

Basically, it'll all work out much the same as before once the visa agents have worked out how to get around the rules.